Arsenal are believed to be one of the clubs keeping tabs on Lyon youngster Willem Geubbels, according to reports.

Linked with a move to Chelsea and Spurs at the start of the year, last month Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo claimed that Barcelona and RB Leipzig were keen on a summer move for the French youngster.

Manchester City, Monaco and Bayern Munich are the latest clubs to be linked with the highly-rated player, with Lyon's president stating that it would take a huge bid to sign the youngster.

Although the player is out of contract at the end of next season, Jean-Michel Aulas told L'Equipe that it would cost around €70million to secure the player's signature.

Given the player has turned down a new deal with the Ligue 1 club, it looks like we could be hearing a lot more of Geubbels over the next couple of months.

Background

Willem Geubbels was born in Villeurbanne, France on August 16 2001, a year and a few months after the likes of Thierry Henry, Nicolas Anelka and David Trezeguet celebrated lifting the European Championships.

From 2010 he was enrolled in the academy at Lyon and made his first-team debut at the tender years of 16 in September 2017 when he replaced Lucas Tousart in he 84th minute during a thrilling 3-3 draw against Dijon.

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That saw Geubbels become the first player born in the 21st century to appear in Ligue 1 as well as the fifth youngest player ever to make his debut in the top flight of French football - even earlier than the current French wonderkid Kylian Mbappe and look how his career has ascened in the space of a year.

There was more history involving the teenager last month as he once again became the first player born in the 21st century to appear in the Europa League as well as the youngest player ever to make his debut in the competition at 16 years and 113 days old when he replaced Maxwel Cornet against Atalanta.

Altogether, Geubbles has made four senior appearances across all competitions this season.

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Style of play

Just like Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Anthony Martial, Kinglsey Coman and so many more young French forwards plying their trade in Europe, Geubbels is comfortable playing on either flank and can even do a job through the middle if asked.

Standing at 6ft1 he's certainly a presence on a football pitch.

Quick, skilful, takes huge strides when getting up and down the flank, he came to prominence during a pre-season clash with Ajax last summer as he replaced Nabil Fekir and provided an assist for Amine Gouiri after timing his run to perfection behind the defence before squaring the ball across the face of goal.

In addition, he's good in the air, a massive threat on the counter attack, likes to vary his runs by sometimes cutting inside or getting to the byline and doesn't need much invitations when a shooting chance presents itself.

Where he’d fit in at Arsenal

If he were to join Arsenal, Geubbels could play out wide, although he would have the likes of Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Mesut Ozil and Alex Iwobi to compete with.

He could also operate just off the centre-forward which allows him the freedom to drift around the pitch to find pockets of space to receive the ball and drive at the defence.

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What comparisons have been made?

Well, given the fact he's the latest in a long line of players to come through Lyon's famed academy, of course comparisons are going to be made with Karim Benzema, Martial and Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette.

It's clear that the academy has produced a number of players with a keen eye for goal.

Willem Geubbels (Photo by Alessandro Sabattini/Getty Images)

Geubbles could be the next French superstar, or he could go the way of Loic Remy - once dubbed as the 'next Thierry Henry' but hasn't fulfiled his early promise - so he'll be keen to carve out his own repuation.